Vocabulary: The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics!

The 2014 Winter Olympics begin on February 7, so this is a good opportunity to review some Olympic vocabulary!

The Winter Olympics

Sochi, Russia is hosting the 22nd Winter Olympic Games. The Olympic Games can also be called The Olympics or The Games. The Olympics is a noun, while Olympic is an adjective. This is the second time that Russia has hosted the Olympics. The 1980 Summer Olympics took place in Moscow.

The first Winter Olympics were held in 1924, in Chamonix, France. In 2018, Pyeongchang, South Korea will host the Winter Games!

Over 2500 athletes from 88 countries will compete in 15 sports. The events will take place in 11 different venues.

Learn the names in English of all 15 Winter Olympic Sports!

(Photo by Jon Wick)

Olympic Athletes

Any athlete who competes at the Olympics, whether or not they win a medal, is known as an Olympian or an Olympic athlete. Olympic athletes are often referred to as elite athletes. They are the best of the best, the top athletes in their sport.

An Olympic athlete competes to win a medal: a gold medal (1st place), a silver medal (2nd place), or a bronze medal (3rd place). An athlete who wins a medal is also known as a medalist. The medalists stand on a podium to receive their medals and listen to the national anthem of the country of the gold medalist.

In the 2014 Winter Olympics, there are 98 events or opportunities to win a medal. For example, alpine skiing is one sport, but there are 5 events for men and 5 events for women within that one sport.

Competition

The Olympic motto is Citius, Altius, Fortius (Faster, Higher, Stronger). Each athlete tries his best to go faster, jump or throw higher, or be stronger than his competitors.

All athletes must qualify for the Olympics. They compete in international and national competitions to be one of the top athletes in their sport.

Athletes also try to set a record or break a record. That is, athletes try to have the best achievement in the world in their sport. For example, Johan Remen Evensen from Norway holds the world record in ski jumping. He holds the world record for longest ski jump. Nobody in the world has jumped further than him!

Follow the Olympics in English!

Are you excited about the Olympics?

What’s your favourite Olympic sport?

5 Comments on Vocabulary: The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics!

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   Gamini

   
   

   January 30, 2014 at 12:25 am (2 years ago)
   

   
   

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   FromSenegal

   
   

   January 30, 2014 at 11:01 am (2 years ago)
   

   
   

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   mantresh

   
   

   January 31, 2014 at 4:44 am (2 years ago)
   

   
   

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   Lory

   
   

   January 31, 2014 at 5:20 pm (2 years ago)
   

   
   

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